Purchasing A High-Efficiency Heat Pump—Why Lifetime Costs Trump Initial Investment

When you’re looking at your annual expenses, cooling and heating jump to the head of the pack. Purchasing a high-efficiency heat pump is one way many homeowners in the Tampa Bay area can significantly reduce their monthly utility bills. Despite their name, heat pumps work effectively and efficiently to cool your home, too.

If you’re considering upgrading your cooling and heating system, keep long-term costs in mind as well as sticker price. In the end, the lifetime costs of any heating and cooling equipment will almost always trump what you pay upfront. That’s why many homeowners opt for purchasing a high-efficiency heat pump, which offers particularly cost-effective home-comfort in warm climates like ours in the Tampa Bay region.

How do they do it? Air-source heat pumps work by using a small amount of electricity to extract heat from the air in your home and “pump” it outside, leaving your living spaces cool and comfortable.

For help choosing a heat pump with lower lifetime costs, study the pump’s EnergyGuide label, paying especially close attention to a couple of factors:

• The SEER is the most important rating to heed in our warm climate. The SEER, or seasonal energy efficiency ratio, measures the heat pump’s cooling efficiency. It represents the amount of heat removed from a living space divided by the amount of energy the heat pump consumes. In general, the higher the heat pump’s SEER, the more efficiently it operates and the more expensive it is upfront — but the greater its potential for savings over the equipment’s lifetime. If you replaced your old, SEER 6-rated pump with a new one rated SEER 12, you’d cut your A/C costs in half. If you’re intent on purchasing a high-efficiency heat pump, look for a SEER rating of 14 to 18.

• The HSPF, or heating season performance factor, measures how well the unit can heat a home. It represents the amount of heating provided divided by the energy required.

If you’d like to talk to someone local about heat pump efficiency, contact the experts at Simpson Air. We welcome any chance to answer questions.

Simpson Air – The Coolest Guys in Town! services the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. Visit our website for more information and to see our special offers today!